Investing in oil

It seems Shell is risking an investment in “new sources of oil” in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea (your 
report, 30 January),

Noticeably, the amount of oil in Alaska is about that estimated for the North Sea. Wouldn’t risks be fewer and the returns as great from investing in exploration in the North Sea?

Global oil corporations’ investment decisions like this reveal graphically the limitations of government and its task force.

It can’t be gainsaid that investment is the key to securing the future of the North Sea. Is it because of the weakness of the task force, compared with global corporations, that it met secretly?

Seemingly some measures on offer are from “supply-side economics”, like more training and learning for workers facing red­undancy. Arguably, there must be measures Scottish Enterprise could take to induce new investment in the North Sea.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie